OS X on dells, compaqs, and HP's...Oh MY!

[sjjordan]

Since OS X is going to the x86 architecture...what keeps anyone from buying it and installing it on their home computer, one which isn't a mac? I wouldn't think apple would license OS X out pre-installed on factory computers like Dell or HP, but what's to stop someone from buying it and installing it themselves, or getting it off a file-sharing network?

Just curious.

 

[Duff-Man]

Duff-Man says.....arrrrrgggghhhhh....have you not read any of the hundred other threads, info from the Apple keynote etc etc etc.....sorry to ream you out but this has been DONE TO DEATH already. Apple going to Intel does not mean you can install on any old pc....please SEARCH before posting...oh yeah!

 

[kidA]

the only thing that'll be stopping them is the same thing that's stopping people from buying parts and building a powerpc box right now and installing os x.

just because it'll be running on an intel x86 processor doesn't mean that you'll be able to install os x on any old x86 setup. it's kind of non-sequitur. the fact that you can install windows xp on any intel setup has nothing to do with intel processors, but has everything to do with the OS itself. apple doesn't have to write an OS is which this capability is available.

 

[velocityg4]

the only thing that'll be stopping them is the same thing that's stopping people from buying parts and building a powerpc box right now and installing os x.

just because it'll be running on an intel x86 processor doesn't mean that you'll be able to install os x on any old x86 setup. it's kind of non-sequitur. the fact that you can install windows xp on any intel setup has nothing to do with intel processors, but has everything to do with the OS itself. apple doesn't have to write an OS is which this capability is available.

Unless of course the open source community finds a way to trick the OS X install. Or say Gigabyte or Abit leave enough space to update their BIOS so their boards identify as Macs then make that update available online to up sales of their boards.

 

[yoda13]

while that is of course, possible, it wouldn't be officially supported and those people could wind up with an unstable OS, which kind of defeats one of the main reasons to go Mac, though there are many

 

[admanimal]

Unless of course the open source community finds a way to trick the OS X install. Or say Gigabyte or Abit leave enough space to update their BIOS so their boards identify as Macs then make that update available online to up sales of their boards.

This won't automatically create device drivers for hardware on these computers that OS X doesn't support...or magically create hardware on these computers that OS X expects to be there, like Apple's power management hardware, etc.